If you haven’t heard the news, a lot of popular lipsticks contain trace amounts of lead.

Lead is an abundant, highly-toxic, low cost, heavy metal that has been used in a wide variety of products including gasoline, batteries, paint, pipes, and cosmetics.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services: “Today, the most common sources of lead exposure in the United States are lead-based paint in older homes, contaminated soil, household dust, drinking water, lead crystal, and lead-glazed pottery. While extreme lead exposure can cause a variety of neurological disorders such as lack of muscular coordination, convulsions and coma, much lower lead levels have been associated with measurable changes in children’s mental development and behavior. These include hyperactivity; deficits in fine motor function, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time; and lowered performance on intelligence tests. Chronic lead exposure in adults can result in increased blood pressure, decreased fertility, cataracts, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, and memory or concentration problems.”

Although the small amounts of lead in many popular lipsticks is considered safe by the FDA, many people would prefer to avoid ANY needless exposure.

Here are just a few brands with lipsticks containing various amounts of lead:

• Avon

• Lancome

• Revlon

• Estee Lauder

• Mary Kay

• L’Oreal

• Dior

• Burt’s Bees

• Almay

• M.A.C

• Cover Girl

• Chanel

• Clinique

• Bobbi Brown

• Maybelline

• Wet ‘n’ Wild

To see the complete list of 400 lipsticks, here is the FDA report, which was last updated on December 5, 2011.

I am pleased to say that the brand I use was in the happy minority of lipsticks that contained NO LEAD. That brand is Motives® by Loren Ridinger. If you’re not familiar with my favorite brand, here is ashort Motives® YouTube video. Motives® provides extraordinary quality and remarkably modest prices.

Motives® by Loren Ridinger is a high-end professional line of cosmetics and skin care that has been featured in Miami Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, and the Fashion Show on Bravo (to name a few). This line offers fully-customizable foundations and colors, is infused with antioxidants, and is also gluten-free. Recently La La Anthony launched a signature add-on called Motives® for La La. Check out this YouTube video on La La and her desire to partner with Loren Ridinger to create this gorgeous addition to the Motives line.

With Motives® it’s easy to have lead-free colors on your tulips, my dear…